G/SCM/Q2/TUR/43  
 
17 March 2022 
(22-2374) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measure  Original: English  
 
 
SUBSIDIES  
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS1 POSED BY THE UNITED STATES REGARDING  
THE NEW AND FULL NOTIFICATION OF TURKEY2 
The following communication, dated and received on 17 March 2022, is being circulated at the 
request of the delegation of Turkey . 
 
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Question 1  
 
For the program entitled " Reduced special consumption tax (SCT) on marine fuels,  
"Turkey claims that the purpose of the program"  is to use the current potential of seas 
surrounding Turkey" and is provided to fishing vessels. What proportion of the program's 
funding is provided to fishing vessels?  
 
Reply : 
 
The objective of the programme is to use the current potential of seas surrounding Turkey at 
maximum level and to ease the burden on national land transportation. As stated in the notification, 
it is not only given to fishing vessels. The marine vessels that can benefit from this programme are 
the vessels of the public admini strations within the scope of the general budget, registered in the 
Turkish International Ship Registry (TISR) and the National Ship Registry (NSR), and the vessels 
only carrying cargo and passengers or servicing on the cabotage line, and commercial yachts  and 
fishing vessels.  
 
As it is stated in the notification, the amount of SCT waived by the fishing vessels was 
174.647.502  TRY in 2017, 156.938.218 TRY in 2018, 181.854.821 TRY in 2019 and 
231.071.559  TRY in 2020. Accordingly, 23% in 2017, 24% in 2018, 25 % in 2019 and 28% in 2020 
of the waivers is provided to fishing vessels.  
 
Question 2  
 
For the program entitled " Fisheries Support Programme ," Turkey provides tax benefits on 
marine fuel, low cost loans, and low cost equity for fishing companies. What measu res 
does Turkey have in place to ensure that overfishing or overcapacity does not result from 
this program? What proportion of the program's funding is provided via loans and equity 
to marine wild capture?  
 
Reply : 
 
Fishing activities in Turkey are regulated by the Fisheries Law, enacted by the Grand National 
Assembly of Turkey in 1971. This law was updated in 2019 in accordance with the needs of the day 
and international rules and the Fisheries Regulation and the Com muniqué Regulating Commercial 
Fisheries Fishing based on this law were issued. This legislation regulates the prohibitions such as 
fishing equipment, nets, region, depth, species, length, quantity, breeding areas to be used by 
fishing vessels for sustainab le fishing activities. Our national legislation has been harmonized with 
 
1 G/SCM/Q2/TUR/42  
2 G/SCM/N/372/TUR  G/SCM/Q2/TUR/43  
 
- 2 - 
 
  international rules on fisheries management, and the Fisheries Law No. 1380 has been revised and 
entered into force on January 1, 2020. With the amendment made in the law, serious san ctions have 
been brought against the violation of responsible and sustainable fishing rules.  
 
In accordance with the Fisheries Law No. 1380, a communiqué was put into effect by publishing in 
the Official Gazette in order to protect the fisheries resources in sea and inland waters and to ensure 
the sustainability of fishing and considering the scientific, environmental, economic and social 
aspects, the prohibitions, limitations and responsibilities for fishing vessels are introduced in terms 
of species, leng th, time, place, depth, distance and fishing gear.  
 
In order to limit the fishing pressure on fisheries resources, new ship licenses were not granted to 
the marine fishing fleet since 2002, preventing the growth of the fleet. Moreover sanctions such as 
administrative fines, suspension and cancellation of licenses, seizure of products and fishing gear 
and vehicles, including imprisonment, are imposed on those who violate the legal regulations, within 
the scope of the Fisheries Law No. 1380.  
 
Institutions res ponsible for the inspection of fishery products carry out effective inspections and 
controls and Since 2016, BAGIS (Fishing Ships Monitoring System) has been established in order to 
monitor fishing activities and collect data on fishing.  
 
In recent years, changes in biomass are monitored due to reasons such as monitoring of fish stocks 
in the seas, environmental effects, and climate change, and instant ban decisions are taken based 
on criteria such as species, location, length, time, equipment, and net.  
 
Turkey acts in accordance with the requirements of global fisheries management and is a member 
of regional fisheries organizations in its region. Turkey is a successful country in creating regulations 
on fisheries management accepted by international fisheri es organizations, translating and 
implementing the existing legislation into its own legislation by observing the FAO Responsible 
Fishing Principles.  
 
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